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2124: St Joseph's,
Guildford, Surrey, England

Mystery Worshipper:
Lazarus (Deceased).The church: St
Joseph's, Guildford, Surrey, England.Denomination: Roman
Catholic, Diocese
of Arundel & Brighton. The building:
A bright, airy new-build church, probably built no later than the turn of the millennium. One accesses the church via a little covered footbridge, as the main worship space is upstairs, with the hall underneath on the ground floor and the car park in the basement.The church:
St Joseph's is well known for having an excellent musical tradition, with people travelling far and wide to attend the 6.00pm mass.The neighbourhood: Guildford
is the county town of Surrey, just south of London, in easy
commuting distance of the capital. Of Saxon origins, today it
is a modern, busy city with plenty of amenities for business
people, tourists and shoppers. It has a large student population
and is famous for its modern Anglican cathedral, which was used
in the film The Omen.The cast: The
Rt Revd Kieran Conry, Bishop of Arundel & Brighton, preached
and administered the sacrament of holy orders. The Revd Anthony
Churchill, episcopal vicar, and various priests concelebrated
and were assisted by two deacons.The date & time: Saturday,
15 January 2011, 12.00 noon.

What was the name of the service?
Solemn Mass of Ordination to the Sacred Priesthood of the Revd
Alexander Hill by the Rt Revd Kieran Conry, Bishop of Arundel
& Brighton.

How full was the building?
Packed to the rafters.

Did anyone welcome you personally?
A lady greeted me with a smile as she handed me a service book.

Was your pew comfortable?
It was a basic modern pew. I thought the kneelers could have
been a bit softer, though.

How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
Relaxed. The music group were warming up and the sound engineers
were testing the microphones.

What were the exact opening words of the
service?
"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

What books did the congregation use during the
service?
There were service booklets and a digital projector screen that
was attached onto the side of the organ case at the front.

Did anything distract you?
There was a slight buzz in the sound system, which really annoyed
me, along with the fact that the church was not built with the
person of shorter stature in mind. I couldn't get a clear view
of the altar at all when people stood up.

Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or
what?
Catholic. A blend of many different traditions, cultures, and
liturgical tastes. Music from Iona, England, USA and Trinidad
was featured, along with the "Veni, Creator Spiritus"
in Latin. No particular style seemed to clash with another;
it was simply catholic in its truest sense.

Exactly how long was the sermon?
4 minutes.

On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
10  Bishop Kieran is a very capable and pastoral speaker. He is very used to preaching in schools and this showed in his preaching style. He preached with clarity and wisdom.

In a nutshell, what was the sermon
about?
Why do we do what we do? Bishop Kieran linked his preaching
in schools with the newly ordained priest's faith journey (he
was formerly an Anglican vicar). Sometimes we have to stop and
ask God, "Is this what you really want?"

Which part of the service was like being in
heaven?
The music was wonderful, and at the moment of consecration the
atmosphere was electric. The Holy Spirit was really moving in
this place!

And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
During the litany of the saints, it was very apparent that what
was displayed on the screens was not what the cantor was singing
up at the front. As the responses were the same for us every
time, the guy operating the audio/visual desk gave up and the
screens were blacked out.

What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
I received a blessing from the newly ordained priest, who thanked
me for travelling so far to be at his ordination.

How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
I had two glasses of red wine (fairly traded) and a small glass
of champagne, along with some sandwiches. They were lovely.

How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
10  I would certainly want to come to the Sunday evening mass if the music and liturgy are like this every week.

Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
Yes. And even more proud to be a Catholic Christian.

What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
Receiving a blessing from the newly ordained priest.

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